Car construction



June 13, 1939. o. DURYl-:A 2,161,915

cm CONSTRUCTION y www,

June 13, A1939.l o. c. DURYEA 2,161,915

CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES` PATENT oFFlcE 1 claims. (c1. 10s-226) This invention relates. to railway car holsters and more particularly to the construction of the `:bolster in a railway car equipped with the Duryea underframe, although not restricted to this particular use.

The Duryea underframe, as described for example in AUnited States Patent No. 1,693,194, issued November 27, 1928, to Otho C. Duryea, embodies a draft and bufing column that is movable longitudinally relative to the car body in .response to draft and bufdng forces to which the v car couplers are subjected, suitable cushioning A mechanism being interposed between the draft and buing column and the car body. Hence th transversely extending body bolsters adjacent the ends of the car/are each provided with openings through which this column extends. In the usual construction the column is formed by spaced channels extending through corresponding spaced openings, the central portion. of the bolster which is embraced by the channels being constituted by" a strong rigid center brace. It has been proposed to form the laterally extending parts of the bolster tagetherv with the center brace in a single casting, as shown in theA aforesaid Duryea patent, but this construction, while practicable, requires a large, heavy casting that is diiilcult to make and heavy and cumbersome to handle. Another construction which has been extensively and successfully used comprises a center'brace casting of the general type shown in United States Patent No. 1,938,744, issued December 12, 1933, to Otho C. Duryea, together with riveted laterally extending bolster construction including top and bottom bolster cover plates and a vertical diaphragm or diaphragms extending between said cover plates. This constructioninvolves some duplication of material due to juxtaposed riveted surfaces, but particularly it involvesV a large number of riveting operations as well as the possibility that the rivets may rustin service or work loose unie carefully driven.

The present invention relates to a bolster of novel construction which avoids the foregoing disadvantages 'and is strong and rigid in service while at the same ltime economical to manufacture, and which facilitates welding and reduces the length of the necessary weld lines, although certain advantages of the inventionV can also be realized in riveted holsters. More particularly, the present invention relates to a novel construction and assembly o f the bolster bottom cover plate-and diaphragms with associated bolster construction which usually comprises the center brace casting and top cover plate, the center plate This head comprises Aa' lower substantially horiand the torque arms, For purposes of illustration, such associated bolster construction as shown hereinafter embodies in part the structure shown in my prior application Serial No. 164,050, filed September 15, 1937, for Car construction, but it will be.. understood that the invention may, if desired,be. embodied in any other suitable bolster construction.

` One embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings but it is to be expressly understood that said drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be taken as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to 'the appended claims. for this purpose. In.the drawings:

Fig. l is. an elevation 4in section of bolster cont struction embodying the invention;

. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the of Fig. l; l

Fig. Sis a vertical section .taken along the line Fig. 4 is a perspective view of combined bottom Y Y Figs. 1, 2 and 3.v

As shown inniy aforesaid application, the bolster constructicn is designed for use with a Duryea underframe of the type disclosed in the aforementioned patents and is accordingly provided with spaced openings i, l through which extend the usual channels forming the draft and buiiing column as above described. This column together with the cushioning mechanism. and its connections tothe column and car body constitute noV part of the present invention and in the interest of simplicity are not shown herein, butit will be understood-that any suitable long travel column and cushioning devices canbe employed, such as those disclosed -for example in the two Duryea patents referred to above.

As further shown in my aforesaid application,

the center brace casting 2 is disposed between y the openings l, l and is generally T-shaped, said casting comprising a lower portion intermediate and separating the openings I, l and an upper head which extends laterally above the openings.

zontal wall I and vertical ywebs 5 extending transversely of the -car body and supporting a top cover plate 6 which is suitably welded thereto. The cover plate 6 extends between and' is suitably secured vat its .endsto a reenforcing member 'I which in turn may be secured to the side sills of the car in any suitable manner. vAdditional vertical webs 8 extend longitudinally of the car body on the wall 4 and to the outer webs I are welded the longitudinally` extending torque arms '9. VThis welded connection is illustrated in detall in`Flg. 7 wherein thel upper flange Il of the torque arm extends horizontally under the cover plate 6 and the web 8 is welded to the torque arm, at Il. 'I'he torque larms 9, as shown in Fig.

lo 3, extend'from the end sill ll2 of the car body' inwardly to the bolster and may terminate at any desired point inwardly of the bolster, being herein extended to the cross bearer I3. The upper flanges I0 of the torque arms may be .welded to the edges of the cover plate 6 as shown at I 4.

y The structure thus far described, which is substantially as disclosed in my aforesaid prior ap plication, is associated herein with novel means f or forming the bolster bottom cover plate and 20 diaphragms and for assembling the same. These means comprise' a structure substantially U-` shaped in cross section, the lower portion of which constitutes a bottom cover plate andthe sides of which form a pair of spaced substantially v25, vertical diaphragms extending between the cover plates. 'Ihe integral bottom and side walls of this structure maybe'form'ed in any suitablemanner. In the form shown, the bottom cover plate and diaphragms are formed from a plate '39 (Fig. 4) having a central or' bottom portion I5 which is preferablyv thicker than the two side portions Ii, the latter being bent upwardly. along the parallel lines Il as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, whereby the central portion Ii and the u side portions I6 are adapted to form respectively the bottom cover plate and the V spaced parallel diaphragms of the bolster as shown in cross section in Fig.' 3. The outer edges of the side por`- tions I6 mayhave any suitableshape depending n on the configuration ofthe bolster. In the present construction, as shown in'Pig. 1, the bolster tapers upwardly to'ward the side sills of the car and accordingly the side portions It of the plate shown in Fig. 4 are tapered so that the plate b e- 45 comes narrower toward one end. I When the side portions are bent-upwardly for assembly in the bolster, the central or bottom portion- II may therefore be disposed at an angle tothe lhorizontal, as sh'own in Fig. 1 while the top edges of the 0 side or diaphragm portions- Il are substantially horizontal and conform to the top'cover plate i as shown in Fig. v1.

The upper edges of the diaphragm'portions II are preferably secured to the-top cover plate C at -hy weldingas indicated at n ma. a) throughout substantially the entire ltransverse extent ofgthe bolster. To accommodate the upper 'flanges I of the torque arms, .the corners of the diaphragm plates te may he hotehed aa mdleatedat n 1n" so Figs. l`and'4. The inner vertical edges of the diaphragm portions I! are against the webs of the torque arms l and are preferably se'A cured :thereto bywelding at 2l as shown in Pig. 2.

The ends 'of the'iiiaphra'gm portions IC engage os. the'webs `of the reenforclng members 'l and are preferably'secured by at 22 as `shown inhFig.` 2. Fig. 6 isadetail of a welded connection .which villustrates welds Ik and 22. Y Y

1c It wm be that thesaeleinent'a rectangular cross section extending on each side of the t.' which eonstruction is'completedby intfrally -7I tbeinneredges of the or bottom portion notlimited ts'l'beneath theeenter Preferably these elementsaremade separatelyas shownandthe connection between them is constituted by the Acette plate z3 which preferably 1a secured to the center brace by welding and as shownin Fig. 1 comprises laterally extending flanges 24 corresponding to and terminating adjacent the inner edges ofthe plates I5 and being connected thereto by welding. Preferably also the same weld lineA is employed to form a connection between the m bottom cover plate and the vertical torque arms 9. To this end the lower flanges 25 of the torquearms l are cut away where they pass through the bolster and the parts are sorthat the adjacent edges of the iianges 24 and the plates I5 u and the lower edges of the webs ofthe torque Varms9allueetsubstantiallyalongacommon lin through the Asshown in detailin Fig. 5; the edges of the platesli and theilanges .24 may be spaced apart by'a distance sufficient 5ml to permit the entry therebetween of the lower edge of the torque arm 9, and for convenience in welding the adjacent edges of the plates AIii-and flanges 24 may be tapered so that the asembly'i of these three elements forms a substantially V- g5.

shaped groove, the bottom of which-is constituted by theedge of the torque arm! and the sides of which are formed by thetapered edges of the plates Ii and iianges 24. This`groove is-preferf.

ably substantially filled with weld metal as shown a in Fig. 5 'so as to secure a strongandrigid connection between the three meeting elements.

Side members. 26 may be secured to the bottom cover plate Ii in any suitable manner-as by rivets :1, and to provide greater stilr-V u ness and rigidity, vertical plates may bewelded along their bottom edses t0 the bottom Yplates Il as indicated at 2! and at -theirends to the diaphragms I6A as indicated at 3l.

It wiube seen that thia-.oohstmotioii provides a built-up bolster which is welded into an inte-` gral rigid unit whereby riveting operations' are substantially eliminated. The construction embodiesaminimumofpartsandissc designedasA toprovide weldlinesat points and indirectlons best adapted to withstand the forces to'which the ia mbieoted inerv1ee. a mmhaumof material'is employed while at the same 'time the extent-ofthe welding operationsrequired is kept at a. minimum, particularly owing to the integral w construction of the bottom'cover plate and dia.-

phragmsandto'thearrangementpermittinga.

singleweldfor unitingthree meetingelements.

vWhile only one t of the invention hasbeen described and'illustrated in the draw- '66' Y that theinventiorn is 'i this embodiment but pf a'vmety x v enum. changesmaybe madein the f orm,details'of.eon

ings, 'it will struction and arrangement of parts without deo0- partingrfromthe spirit of the invention. Refer- 'ericeistherefretobehadtotheappendedclaimsV for a definition of the limits of the invention.

Whatis claimedis:

a center structure meiudinga and-a. center plate of reduced width toprovideopeningsjor. :so e

having au'ihtemiediateportionVv toms of said U-shaped elements forming parts of the bottom cover plate4 and the sides abutting and being welded to said top cover plate to form substantially vertical-diaphragms. f y

2. Railway car bolster construction comprising a center brace having a portion of reduced width to provide openings for passage of movable elements through the bolster, a top cover plate welded to said center brace and extending laterally on each side thereof, a center plate secured to said center brace and having laterally extending flanges, and U-shaped elements one on each side of said center brace, the bottoms of said U- shaped elements abulting and being welded to said anges and forming with said center plate a bottom cover plate for the bolster, and the sides of said U-shaped elements abutting and being Welded to said top coverplate to form vertical diaphragms.

3. Railway car bolster construction comprising a center brace having a portion of reduced width to provide openings for passage of movable elements through,l the bolster, a top coverplate welded to said center brace and extending laterally on each side thereof, a center plate secured to said center brace and having laterally extending flanges, vertical plates extending longitudinally,A of the car body through said bolster and defining` the outer sides of saidA openings, the lower edges of said vertical plates being welded to said anges, and U-shaped elements one on each side of said center brace, the bottoms of said U-shaped elements' abutting and being welded to said flanges to form with said center plate a bottom cover plate for the bolster, the inner edges of the sides of said U-shaped elements abutting and being welded to said vertical plates and their upper edges abutting and being welded to said top cover plate to vform vertical diaphragms.

4. Railway car bolster construction comprising a center brace having a portion of reduced' width to provide openings' for passage of movable elements through the bolster, a top cover plate welded to said center brace and extending laterally on each side thereof, a center plate secured to said center brace and having laterally ex-v tending fianges, vertical plates extending longitudinally of the car body through said bolster and dening the outer sides of said openings, the lower edges of said vertical plates being welded to said anges, and U-shaped` elements one on each side of said center brace, the bottoms of said U-shaped elements abutting and being welded to said flanges to form with said center plate a bottom cover plate for the bolster, the

inner edges or the sides-oi said U-shapedelements abutting and being weldedto said vertical plates and their upper edges abutting and being welded to said'top cover plate to form vertical diaphragms, the abutting edges of said bottoms and anges and the lower edges of said venical plates meeting substantially in a common line and being united by a common weld.

5. Railway car bolster construction comprising a center brace having a portion of reduced width to provide openings for the passage of movable elements, a top cover plate secured to said center brace and extending laterally on each side thereof, a center plate secured to the bottom of said center brace and having flanges extending later- 'ally' on each side thereof, U-shaped elements one on each side of said center brace, the inner edges of the bottom thereof being adjacent to ihe outer edges of said flanges, vertical plates extending longitudinally of the car body through said bolster, said vertical plates forming the outer sides of said openings and having their lower edges interposed between the adjacent edges of said bottoms and flanges to form therewith a common welding groove substantially lled with weld metal, the vertical sides of said U-shaped elements forming diaphragms and having their upper edges welded to said top cover plate and their inner edges welded to said vertical plates.

6. In a railway car bolster having center brace and center plate structure and a top cover plate extending transversely thereof 0n each side, the combination of a pairof elements substantially U-shaped in cross section, the bottoms thereof forming bottom cover plates andthe sides 'thereof being welded to said top cover plate, and vertical plates extending longitudinally of the car through said bolster, said structure having laterally extending anges the outer edges of which substantially meet the inner edges of said bottoms` and the lower edges o f vsaid vertical plates. and common welded connections between said meeting edges.

7. In a railway car bolster having center brace and center plate structure and a top cover plate extending transversely thereof on each side, the combination of a pair of elements substantially U-shaped in cross section, the bottoms thereof forming bottom cover plates and the sides thereof being welded to said top cover plate, and vertical plates passing longitudinally through said bolster, said structure having laterally extending anges the outer edges of which are disposed adjacent the inner edges of said bottoms with the lower edges of said vertical plates'partially interposed between them to form a groove filled with weld material. v l

' OTHO C. DURYEA.. 

